Ammunition-hoist



E. D. CUMMINGS.

AMMUNITION HOIST.

APPUCATION FILED AUG-.31. 1920.

Patented June 7, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. D. CUMMINGS.

AMMUNITION HOIST.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 3I, l920.

Patented June 7, 1921.

avwewtoz abtmmj 0*. CUMMINGS. AMMUNITION HOIST. Anmcmou FILED Austen, 1920.

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ELMER D. CUMMINGS, or'wAsmneron, DISTRICT OF CO UMBIA.

AMMUNITION-BOISE Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 7, 1921 Application filed August 31, 1920. Serial No. 407,26 6.

(FILED UNDER THE Acrois MARCH v3, 188? easra'r. 1.; 62 5.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER D. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, stationed at Washington, D. 0.," have invented an Improvement in Ammunition-Hoists, of which This invention relates to a hoisting device reference designed especially for hoisting bags of powder and the like and refers more spe- 1 cifically to a grip car and conveyer forming a part of such hoisting mechanism. 3

In hoisting bags of powder or the like, it is desirable that the conveyer be constructed to, ascend with the bag and load automatically, dump the same and return. To avoid jars and shocks and consequent wear and tear on the structure the return of the conveyer should be controlled and not left entirely tothe action of gravity.

These objects areefliciently accomplished by making use of the returnflight of the conveying cable to return the grip car and conveyer, and in order that this result may be attained it is necessary to provide means for automatically releasing the connection of the car to the up flight of the cable and connecting the car to the down flight.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a grip car which will automatically release from one cable. and then automatically grip another.

' The invention also contemplates generally, improving the construction and enhancing the utility of grip cars of this character.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the ,precise embodiment of the invention herein'disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. o I

A practical embodiment of the invention isillus'trated in the accompanying drawings whereinz V Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a conveyer der or the like.

Fig. 2 is a similarview of the lower end.

of said conveyer, a grip car constru'ctedin" accordance 'withthe place therein;

' Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grip-car;

- Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe same,

nvention shown in parts being'removed and the car body in'- dicated in dotted lines v Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly sect1on on the line V V of Fig. 3'; and

' Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the grip car. V V

Referringto the drawings by numerals of The conveyer may be of any suitable constructlon but as herein shown, consists of a tubular member or chute, 10 the lower recelvlng end of which is normally closed by a hood, 11 which is suitably hinged to the tube 10." At the upper end of the conveyer is provlded a receiving table, 12, which is provided fo'r'the reception of bags,

A cable, 14,.is trained under a grooved pulley, 15, located at the bot tom of the tube-or chute, 10, and also over the grooved pulley16,suitably journaledin the frame work at the upper end of the chute- The. upper end of the cable is led about an idler, 17, and over 'apulley or drum, 18, which is'driven; by means of a worm, 19, formed on the shaft of a motor, 20,

13, of powor in any other suitable manner. Fromthe foregoing' it will be understood that the cable-has 'an ascending and a descending flight; a Y

Within the tube, 10, are mounted spaced apart rails, 21, which serve as a support for the grip *car and conveyer and also additional' rails- 22,, which are engaged by the wheels 2 1,journaled toward the rear end of the conveyer,'23. The'conveyer, 23, has lugs, 24', dependingfrom its forward end and contacting the rails, 21, to slide thereon. Links, 25, connect the-conveyer,

23, to thegrip car, 26, which car forms the main subject of this invention. 1 i V H The vbody of the car, '26-, may beof any suitable form'and is preferably openat the top and forward"end, and tothe rear wallrlof the car isthreaded or otherwise secured a cylinder, 27 ,which is adapted to receive a piston, 28,- suitably mounted at'the lower end of the chute, the structure acting as a dash-pot which absorbs the shock" of'thecar upon its return to lowermost position.

A horizontally disposed shaft, 29, extends transverselycf the car, 26, and is mounted in the side walls thereof. A trip arm 30, is pivotally mounted on the shaft, 29, adjacent one side of the car, and this arm is apertured between its ends to receive a pin 31, and is angularly disposed at its lower end, as indicated at 32, to form aproj ection which may be contacted for the purpose of rocking the arm. A link, 33, is mounted onthe shaft, 29, adjacent the trip arm, 30, and the link is apertured in its lower end to receive the journaled pin, 31, and is formed with an outwardly projecting finger, 33, which acts as a stop to limit the throw of the link and trip-arm as'will soon be apparent. A grip link 34, has its upper end bifurcated to straddle the lower end of the link, 33, and the prongs of said bifurcated portion are apertured to receive the journaling pin 31. To'the lower end of the link, 34, is pivotally secured a gripshoe, flight of the cable,'14. The shoe, 35, is normally held in its rearmost position out of contactwith the cable byany suitable means, such as the retractile spring, 36, one end of which is pivotally connected to the shoe and the other end of which'engages theapertured lug, 37, projecting from the rear wall of the car, 26. I V

From the foregoing, and a consideration of Fig. 5, it will be evident that when the trip-arm, 30, is rocked forwardly the link, 33, because of its connection to the bin, 31,

will likewise draw with it the grip link, 34, thereby drawing such link and the grip-shoe against the force of the spring, 36, and forcing the shoe into contact with the up cable, 14. This forward movement of the trip arm may be accomplished by any suitable means such as the lever, 32', (Fig. 2) which is suitably journaled at the lowerend of the chute and is manually rocked to contact the pro. jecting end, 32, of the trip-arm and rock the arm to forward or grip setting position;

The brake arm, 38, is connected to the shaft, 29, toward the other side of the car, 26, and this arm is formed with a tapped boss into which is threaded a rearwar ly projecting arm, 39, upon which is mounted an adjustable weight, 40. The brake arm is formed with can upwardly projecting nose, 41, which is adapted to be contacted for the purpose of rocking the arm to release the brake as will be hereinafter set forth. The brake-shoe, 42, is pivotally connected to the lower end of the arm, 38, and isformed to engage the downward flight ofthe cable, 14. The brake-shoe is normally urged 'toward its cable engaging positionbyv means of the weight, 40, and the retractile spring, 43, one end of which is pivotally connected to the shoe and the'other end of which eng g r fe in a ba d, a. which 1 35, which is formed to en age the up-.

circles a shaft, 45, extending transversely of a car, 26, and supported in the walls thereof.

For the purpose of holding the brakeshoe from contact with the cable when the car is ascending and for moving it into contact with the cable when the car is descending, an eye, 46, is formed on the brake arm, 38, and projects rearwardly therefrom and to this eye is pivotally secured the upper end of a friction link, 47, to the lower end of which is pivoted a friction shoe, 48, adapted for sliding contact with a rail, 21. The friction link, 47 is likewise formed with a tapped boss into which is threaded the rearwardlyextending arm, 49, upon which is mounted an adjustable weight, 50. From a consideration of the Figs. 3, 4 and 6, taken in conjunction with the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the rearward movement of the friction-shoe, 48, will rock the brake-arm," 38, on the shaft, 29, in a direction to raise thebrake-shoe, 42, from' engagement with the cable, 14. Slight movement of the shoe, 48, will rock the arm, 38, in direction to bringthe brakeshoe into engagement with the cable, 14;

For the purpose of releasing the grip, 35, from the up flight of the cable, 14, when the car has reached its uppermost position and the conveyer has dumped its load of powder or the like upon the receiving table, an adjustable block, 51, is suitably mounted in the chute, 10,-adjacent its upper end heside a rail, 21, the block being in position to contact the end, 32, of the trip arm, 30, and rock the arm to lift the grip-shoe, 35, from engagement with the cable. During the upward movement; of the car the friction shoe, 48, being in contact with a rail, 21, will tend to move rearwardly and lift the bral :e-sh oe,f42, from engagement with the cable, 14. When the grip is released,

upon arrival of the car at its uppermost -POSlt10n, gravity will cause the car to start to descend. This downward movement of the car will'urge the friction shoe, 48, forward and rock the brake-arm, 38, to set the brake-shoe, 42, in engagement with'the down flight of the cable, 14, thus insuring a downward movement of the grip car in unison with the movement of the cable.'

f In order that the brake may be released from the cable when the grip car has reached its lowermost position, an adjustable striker, 52, is'provlded at the lower end of the chute and is positioned to engage the nose, 41, to roclithe brake arm, 38,and release the brake. shoe.

To compensate for the wear of the cable on, the bottom of the grip car in its passage therethrough, wearing strips, 53, may be detachably secured in grooves formed in the bottom of the car, the said strips being in fricltional contactwith the flights of the ca, e,

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the action of the car in releasing from the up cable and gripping the downcable is entirely automatic and lets the car return to normaly or lowermostposition without undue speed and consequent jar and shock to the mechanism.

As the operation of the device has been grip car, a grip for engagement with the cable,'means operable to automatically release the grip, a brake, and means operable to engage the brake with the cable to move the car in an opposlte direction. 2. A hoist including an endless cable, a

grip car, a grip carried by the car and operable to engage the cable to move the car in one direction, means operable to automatically release the grip, a brake shoe, and means for operating the shoe to engage the cable and to move the car in an opposite direction.

'3. A hoist including an endlesstraveler, a grip car, a grip carried by the car and swingable intoposition to engage a flight of the traveler to move the car in one direction, a brake connected to the car and a friction member operating when the grip is released to bring the brake into engagement with the traveler to move the car in the opposite direction.

4:. A hoist including a support, an endless traveler carried by the support, a grip car mounted to travel on the support, a grip on the car and operable to engage the traveler to carry the car therewith in one direction, an element for operating the grip to engage and release the traveler, a brake connected to the car and engageable with the traveler to move the car in an opposite. direction, a friction member for throwing the brake into engagement with the traveler and means for automatically releasing the brake from the traveler. I

5. A hoist including a support, an endless traveler carried by the support, a grip car, a grip on the car and adapted to engage the carrier, a switch arm for throwing the grip, means for moving the switch arm to force the grip into contact with the traveler to move the car'injone direction, adjustable means carried by the support and engageable with the switch arm to automatically release the grip when the car has reached its limit of travel in said direction, a friction member moved with respect to the car by return movement of the car under the force of gravity, a vbrake shoe thrown into engage ment with the traveler by the movement of the friction member, and means connected to the support to automatically release the brake when the car has returned to its'original or starting position.

6. A hoist including a tube, a traveler connected to the tube, a gripcar in the tube and moveable therein, a grip carried by the I car and engageable with the traveler, means connected to the tube for moving the grip into engagement with the traveler, means adj ustably mounted in the tube for automatically releasing the grip from the traveler, a

brake carried by the car, friction means contacting the tube and operating on return movement of the car to throw the brake into engagement with the down flight of the traveler, and adjustable means for throwing the brake out of engagement with the traveler.

7. A hoist, including a tube, an endless cable to travel in the tube, a grip car movable in the tube, a grip carried by the car and engageable with the cable, means connected to the tube and operable to throw the grip into engagement with the cable, a trip block mounted for adjustment in the tube, and operating to releasethe grip, a brake shoe carried by the car and engageable'with the down flight of the cable and friction means for operating the brake.

8. grip car including a grip normally held in released position, means for throwing the grip to gripping or released position, a brake, and means operating upon movement of the car in one direction to move the brake to operative position.

9. A grip car, including a frame, a grip 10. A grip car, including a frame, a shaft carried by the frame, a grip connected to the shaft, a trip arm connected to the shaft and operable to move the grip to gripping andreleased positions, a brake connected to the shaft, and a friction member connected to the shaft and operating upon movement of the car in one direction to actuate the brake.-

ELMER D. CUMMINGS. 

